Process
You should never have to ask where it is.
Every acquisition runs to a dated schedule issued on day one. This is what happens, when it happens, and what lands in your file each time.
Schedule
Instruction to handover · typically 9–13 weeks| Step | Stage | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | InstructionSpecification, ceiling and acceptable compromises agreed in writing. | Dated schedule, fee confirmation, and an itemised landed estimate. |
| 02 | SourcingWe search the source markets and run our checks before anything is shown to you. | Shortlist with condition notes, our findings, and what we rejected and why. |
| 03 | InspectionIndependent pre-purchase inspection, arranged and paid for before any commitment. | Inspection report and full photographic set, including the unflattering angles. |
| 04 | PurchaseFunds released, title transferred, export process opened. | Supplier invoice, proof of title, and the import permit application reference. |
| 05 | ComplianceImport permit issued, pre-shipment inspection completed, documents checked against current regulation. | Permit, inspection certificate, and the export declaration. |
| 06 | FreightLoaded, insured and at sea. Position confirmed weekly, and immediately on any change. | Bill of lading, vessel and voyage number, insurance certificate, ETA. |
| 07 | ClearanceCustoms declaration, duty and VAT assessed and paid, release obtained. | Customs assessment as issued, alongside our original estimate. |
| 08 | HandoverRegistration, plates, preparation and delivery. | Registration documents and the complete file, closed and yours. |
The twelve checks
Stages 02 and 03, on every vehicle- Chassis or VIN verified against the manufacturer record and the export documents
- Structural repair separated from cosmetic panel work — a replaced wing is not accident damage, and a clean grade can still hide one
- Odometer cross-checked against the national mileage record where the source market keeps one
- Outstanding finance, lien or theft markers cleared in the country of registration
- Corrosion risk assessed from where the car actually spent its life, not where it is being sold
- Outstanding manufacturer recalls checked and, where possible, closed before shipping
- Service record traced and gaps identified in writing rather than left out
- Age at date of shipment confirmed against the Mauritian import window
- Right-hand drive confirmed, and specification checked against local registration requirements
- Independent pre-shipment inspection booked and the certificate obtained
- Photographic record taken before loading, including underbody, sills and wheel arches
- Condition re-recorded on arrival at Port Louis and compared against the pre-loading set
Shipping options
Sea, container, or air| Method | Timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sea freight (RoRo)Open-deck, driven aboard | 4–6 weeks | Value vehicles where protection is secondary to cost |
| ContainerLocked in steel, blocked & braced | 4–6 weeks | Premium vehicles (Range Rover, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche) where protection matters |
| Air freightSealed cargo hold, white-glove service | 2–7 days | Ultra-luxury vehicles, event-driven deliveries, irreplaceable cars |
Air freight scenario: Lamborghini for an event
You want your Huracán for the Mauritius Grand Prix Festival and sea freight
takes 4–6 weeks. Air freight can compress the timeline significantly —
sourcing, inspection, air transport and clearance can potentially be completed
within weeks rather than months, depending on availability and logistics.
Air freight scenario: executive relocation
New managing director arrives in Mauritius in 10 days and expects a prestige vehicle.
We fast-track sourcing to a 2–3 week turnaround. Air delivery in 5 days. Vehicle
ready at hotel on arrival day with full registration, plates and insurance briefing.
Builds confidence in your company’s Mauritius presence from day one.
Documents
One file per acquisitionEverything issued during an acquisition goes into a single file that is shared with you and updated as each document lands. Nothing is held back until the end and nothing has to be chased.
Each document is checked against current Mauritian requirements before it is filed — the permit against the age and specification of the vehicle, the declaration against the invoice and bill of lading, the registration against the chassis. Where a document is wrong we correct it at source rather than at the port, which is the difference between a day and a fortnight.
Supplier invoice
Proof of title or de-registration
Inspection report and photographs
Import permit
Pre-shipment inspection certificate
Export declaration
Bill of lading and insurance certificate
Customs declaration and assessment
Registration and plates
Our invoice
Costs
What is ours, and what is notOur fee is agreed in writing before the search begins. We take nothing from the price of the goods and nothing from the freight. Every other cost is passed through at the figure on the invoice, and you see the invoice.
The duty base is the CIF value — the car plus freight, insurance and any dutiable pre-shipment transport, not the car price alone. Excise is CIF × the band for the powertrain and engine size; VAT is 15% of CIF plus excise, so the two compound. There is no separate customs duty on motor cars, whatever the import guides say — the MRA schedule lists excise and VAT only.
Nothing until you instruct us. Our fee is invoiced on purchase. Duty, VAT and registration fall due on arrival, at the figures Customs issues.
If the assessment differsWhere the final customs assessment differs from our estimate, the difference is yours in either direction. We do not keep a margin on having been wrong in your favour.
| Line | Who sets it | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Our acquisition fee | Us | Agreed in writing up front |
| Price of the goods | Seller | At invoice |
| Inspection | Independent inspector | At invoice |
| Freight and insurance | Shipping line | At invoice |
| Excise duty | MRA | CIF value × band |
| VAT | MRA | 15% on CIF + excise |
| Permit, clearance, registration | Government | At the published rate |
Reaching us
Direct, any timeWe are based in the United Kingdom. You deal with Luxury Expo directly throughout — WhatsApp, phone or email, whichever is easiest for you.
If a date moves, we will tell you the day it moves — not when you ask.
Sourcing, pre-purchase inspection, negotiation, payment, title, export clearance, freight booking, import permit, customs declaration, duty and VAT, registration, plates, preparation and handover.
Start with the specification
If the landed cost does not make sense once duty is factored in, we will tell you before you commit. There is no obligation and no charge for the initial enquiry.
Start an enquiry